Although the present invention relates to all kinds of packs of consumer goods, the present invention is described exemplary in relation to packs for cigarettes currently made by folding a packaging blank into a hinged-lid pack. Packs of consumer goods commonly show on their visible outside surface printed information comprising for example branding items and consumer oriented information about the goods as well as any legally compulsory information such as, in the case of cigarette packs, compulsory health warnings. This printed information is printed on one side of the packaging blank before forming of the packs by folding of the packaging blank in such a way that the printed side of the packaging blank forms the outer surface of the pack.
In the tobacco and other heavily regulated industries, the legally compulsory information to be printed on the packs is generally increasing and consequently the corresponding surface area on the outer surface of the packs is also increasing. As a consequence the remaining surface area for other consumer directed information such as branding and product information is proportionally decreasing.
Consumer goods manufacturers therefore seek for optimization of the available printing surface area on the packs to communicate product information to consumers while complying with all compulsory legal requirements.
WO 2014/097200 A1 describes a hinge-lid pack for smoking articles, which shall provide additional information visible for its purchaser on an inner surface of the lid top wall of the lid of the pack after the opening of the pack. To provide the additional information on the inner surface of the lid top wall of the lid, the pack comprises a counter panel structure extending from the lid's front wall and being folded inside the lid against the lid's front, top and back walls. However, the pack described in WO 2014/097200 A1 with the special lid is particularly difficult to form and to close due to the additional material layer created by the counter panel structure on the inside of the lid, in particular on the back and top walls. This additional material layer further increases significantly the material costs for manufacturing the pack.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide at least one improved opportunity for increasing communication space in a hinge-lid pack with information printed on an inner surface of its lid top wall without the disadvantages listed above.